Facsimile apparatus using a small computer system interface

• US 6,064,491 A
• Filed: 06/03/1997
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Naoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, KIM Y
• Application Number:
  US08/867,940
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/434-440, 358/442, 358/468, 358/403, 358/1.14, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00206 Transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication device, e.g. a facsimile transceiver H04N1/00236 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00238 using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer output via network, e.g. network printing H04N1/00233
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32566 at the transmitter or at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

A facsimile apparatus having a scanner for reading original images, a memory for storing images, a printer for recording images, and a communication control section for controlling the transmission/reception of data with a receiving communication apparatus is connected to a host computer via a small computer system interface (SCSI). As a result, the scanner, the memory, the printer and the communication control apparatus provided in the facsimile apparatus can be controlled from the host computer. Data can be transferred between the host computer and the facsimile apparatus at a higher speed, and the scanner, the memory, the printer and the communication control apparatus can be effectively controlled from the host computer. Thus, various kinds of applications can be realized.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a data processing apparatus in a data processing system having said data processing apparatus and a host computer, said method comprising

an input step of inputting data;

a storage step of storing the data input in said input step;

a notification step of notifying the host computer of an ID for specifying the data stored in said storage step;

an instruction reception step of receiving an instruction from the host computer; and

a processing step of processing the data based on the instruction received in said instruction reception step,

wherein said instruction reception step receives the instruction including the ID, and said processing step processes the data that is specified by the instruction including the ID.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said notification step notifies the host computer of a list of IDs for retrieving the data stored in said storage step.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said input step inputs the data from a communication partner through a network.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said input step inputs the data from a reader of the data processing apparatus.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said processing step transmits the data to a communication partner through a network.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said processing step prints the data using a printer of the data processing apparatus.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said processing step transfers the data to the host computer.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said processing step deletes the data stored in said storage step.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data processing apparatus is included in a facsimile apparatus.

10. A method of controlling a data processing apparatus in a data processing system having the data processing apparatus and a host computer, said method comprising:

a reading step of reading an original image on a document and outputting image data based on the original image using a reader of the data processing apparatus;

a storage step of storing the image data output in said reading step;

a notification step of notifying the host computer of information as to whether or not the document is set on the reader;

an instruction reception step of receiving an instruction including a reading parameter from the host computer; and

a control step of controlling the reader such that the reader operates in accordance with the reading parameter.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said notification step notifies the host computer of a cause of abnormality.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the reading parameter received in said instruction reception step includes resolution, reading size, or density.

13. A method recited in claim 10, wherein the data processing apparatus is included in a facsimile apparatus.

14. An image processing apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading an original image on a document and outputting image data based on the original image;

connecting means for connecting a host computer;

instruction reception means for receiving an instruction from the host computer via said connecting means;

transmission means for transmitting the image data output from said reading means through a network;

transferring means for transferring the image data output from said reading means to the host computer through said connecting means;

notification means for notifying the host computer, through said connecting means, of information as to whether or not the document is set on said reading means; and

control means for controlling said reading means, said transmission means and said transferring means such that the image data from said reading means is output to a proper destination in accordance with the instruction received by said instruction reception means.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising printing means for printing an image based on the image data from said reading means,

wherein said control means further controls said printing means such that the image means in accordance reading means is output to said printing means in accordance with the instruction received by said instruction reception means.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the instruction received by said instruction reception means includes a reading parameter for reading the original image by said reading means.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the instruction received by said instruction reception means includes address information for transmitting the image data by said transmission means.

18. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said image processing apparatus is included in a facsimile apparatus.

19. A data processing apparatus comprising:

connecting means for connecting a host computer;

reading means for reading an original image on a document and outputting image data based on the original image;

reception means for receiving image data through a network;

input means for inputting image data from the host computer through said connecting means;

storage means for storing the image data obtained from said reading means, reception means or said input means to a storage medium;

printing means for printing an image based on the image data;

transmission means for transmitting the image data through the network;

transfer means for transferring the image data to the host computer through said connecting means;

instruction reception means for receiving an instruction from the host computer through said connecting means; and

control means for controlling said reading means, said reception means, said input means, said storage means, said printing means and said transfer means such that the image data stored to the storage medium by said storage means based on an instruction received by said instruction reception means is outputted to said printing means, said transmission means or said transfer means based on another instruction received by said instruction reception means.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said storage means stores the image data as a file to the storage medium equipped to said data processing apparatus.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising notification means for notifying the host computer of attribute information of the file stored in the storage medium.

22. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the instruction received by said instruction reception means includes a parameter for performing a job.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the parameter includes resolution information of the image data.

24. The data processing apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein said data processing apparatus is included in a facsimile apparatus.

25. An image processing method comprising:

a reading step of reading an original image on a document placed on a reading means and outputting image data based on the original image;

a connecting step of connecting a host computer;

an instruction reception step of receiving an instruction from the host computer via said connecting step;

a transmission step of transmitting the image data output at said reading step through a network;

a transferring step of transferring the image data output at said reading step to the host computer through said connecting step;

a notification step of notifying the host computer, through said connecting step, of information as to whether or not the document is set on the reading means; and

a control step for controlling said reading step, said transmission step and said transferring step such that the image data read at said reading step is output to a proper destination in accordance with the instruction received at said instruction reception step.

26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising a printing step for printing, using a printing means, an image based on the image data from said reading step,

wherein said control step further controls the printing means such that the image data read at said reading step is output to the printing means in accordance with the instruction received by said instruction reception step.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the instruction received by said instruction reception step includes a reading parameter for reading the original image at said reading step.

28. A method according to claim 25, wherein the instruction received by said instruction reception step includes address information for transmitting the image data by said transmission step.

29. A method according to claim 25, wherein said image processing method is executed by a facsimile apparatus.

30. A data processing method comprising:

a connecting step of connecting a host computer;

a reading step of reading an original image on a document and outputting image data based on the original image;

a reception step of receiving image data through a network;

an input step of inputting image data from the host computer through said connecting step;

a storage step of storing the image data obtained from said reading step, reception step or said input step to a storage medium;

a printing step of printing an image based on the image data using a printing means;

a transmission step of transmitting the image data through the network;

a transfer step of transferring the image data to the host computer through said connecting step;

an instruction reception step of receiving an instruction from the host computer through said connecting step; and

a control step of controlling said reading step, said reception step, said input step, said storage step, said printing step and said transfer step such that the image data stored to the storage medium by said storage step based on an instruction received at said instruction reception step is outputted to be used by said printing step, said transmission step or said transfer step based on another instruction received at said instruction reception step.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein said storage step stores the image data as a file to the storage medium equipped to a data processing apparatus executing said method.

32. A method according to claim 31, further comprising a notification step of notifying the host computer of attribute information of the file stored in the storage medium.

33. A method according to claim 30, wherein the instruction received at said instruction reception step includes a parameter for performing a job.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the parameter includes resolution information of the image data.

35. A method according to claim 30, wherein said data processing method is executed by a facsimile apparatus.

36. A computer-readable medium storing instructions to cause a processor-controlled image processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

a reading step of reading an original image on a document placed on a reading means and outputting image data based on the original image;

a connecting step of connecting a host computer;

an instruction reception step of receiving an instruction from the host computer via said connecting step;

a transmission step of transmitting the image data output at said reading step through a network;

a transferring step of transferring the image data output at said reading step to the host computer through said connecting step;

a notification step of notifying the host computer, through said connecting step, of information as to whether or not the document is set on the reading means; and

a control step for controlling said reading step, said transmission step and said transferring step such that the image data read at said reading step is output to a proper destination in accordance with the instruction received at said instruction reception step.

37. A computer-readable medium according to claim 36, the method further comprising a printing step of printing, using a printing means, an image based on the image data from said reading step,

wherein said control step further controls the printing means such that the image data read at said reading step is output to the printing means in accordance with the instruction received by said instruction reception step.

38. A computer-readable medium according to claim 36, wherein the instruction received by said instruction reception step includes a reading parameter for reading the original image at said reading step.

39. A computer-readable medium according to claim 36, wherein the instruction received by said instruction reception step includes address information for transmitting the image data by said transmission step.

40. A computer-readable medium according to claim 36, wherein said image processing apparatus is included in a facsimile apparatus.

41. A computer-readable medium storing instructions to cause a processor controlled data processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

a connecting step of connecting a host computer;

a reading step of reading an original image on a document and outputting image data based on the original image;

a reception step of receiving image data through a network;

an input step of inputting image data from the host computer through said connecting step;

a storage step of storing the image data obtained from said reading step, reception step or said input step to a storage medium;

a printing step of printing an image based on the image data using a printing means;

a transmission step of transmitting the image data through the network;

a transfer step of transferring the image data to the host computer through said connecting step;

an instruction reception step of receiving an instruction from the host computer through said connecting step; and

a control step of controlling said reading step, said reception step, said input step, said storage step, said printing step and said transfer step such that the image data stored to the storage medium by said storage step based on an instruction received at said instruction reception step is outputted to be used by said printing step, said transmission step or said transfer step based on another instruction received at said instruction reception step.

42. A computer-readable medium according to claim 41, wherein said storage step stores the image data as a file to the storage medium equipped to the data processing apparatus.

43. A computer-readable medium according to claim 42, the method further comprising a notification step of notifying the host computer of attribute information of the file stored in the storage medium.

44. A computer-readable medium according to claim 41, wherein the instruction received at said instruction reception step includes a parameter for performing a job.

45. A computer-readable medium according to claim 44, wherein the parameter includes resolution information of the image data.

46. A computer-readable medium according to claim 41, wherein said data processing apparatus is included in a facsimile apparatus.